The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1887-08-25
The Tides and the Cause Thereof.

| frozen and pulseless BOSOM Charleston
Sunday News.
The Tides and the Cause Thereof.
SULLIvAN's ISLAND, August s, 1887.
Nothing was said in last weeks letter
of the sand that covers "The Island" to
a considerable depth. During the high
winds which prevailed for several days
just past the sand vas shifted from place
to place-here and there were mounds on
level with the fence, and some doors
were approachable only on descending a
steep bank of soft white sand. The
street cars were frequently delayed by
the track being covered, and if they pass
ed on time down "The Island" toward
the boat.landing it was no guaranty that
they could return half hour later and
not find the road impossible by reason of
the quickly changing sand. Eyes, ears,
mouth were generously treated if one
ventured to walk abroad, ard housekeep-
ers complained that in spite of we'll.
covered pots, and great care in cooking,
the food would be gritty even after all
efforts to prevent it. Wooden sidewalks
facilitate pedestrianism, otherwise one
would of necessity be confined to the
beach at low water in order to enjoy that
exereise-which is made doubly pleasant
here by reason of the fine ocean view and
the delicious breezes. We except those
days when the wind must have reached
the velocity of a gale.) Lest some of
your younger readers should not under
stand the philosophy of the sea breeze,
we would write word of explanation.
The land receives and loses its heat more
rapidly than the ocean, hence during the
day as the sun shines on both, the land
atmosphere becomes lighter than that of
the ocean, and, being 80, rises, while the
cooler air of the ocean rushes in to sup
ply the vacuum. This is our sea breeze.
At night change occurs. The ocean,
losing its heat less rapidly than the land,
is warmer than the continents, and its
atmosphere now rises, while that of the
land moves seaward TO supply the def.
cheney, thus creating breeze from the
land toward the ocean. This little island
of ours, however, is too small to demon.
strate the truth of these statements.
Now if you feel wind blowing during
the day and you know it does not come
from the direction of the sea, do not dis.
pute this philosophy, for there are many
causes which defect the wind from this
regular course-mountain ranges, the ro-
tation of the earth on its axis, and others.
Possibly there are some among your
youthful readers unacquainted with the
theory Of the tides. A few words will,
at any rate, open the subject to them.
AS said last week the tide rises and ebbs
twice every twenty four hours, coming in
for six hours and flowing out as long.
We call the moon the satellite of the
earth. In its revolution about US it ex
erts an attraction upon the earth across q
distance of i24O 900 miles. Water being
mobile yields to this attraction, and rises
toward the moon, following it, as it were.
The land, stubborn solid, resists this
influence, except the small fraction that
is felt throughout the whole sphere.
Now as the water rises in obedience to
the behest of the moon it moves in great
swells across the bosom of the ocean, fol-
lowing the controlling power. In mid
ocean these swells are scarcely percepli.
BILE. ,.but when they meet the coasts Of the
continents they break upon the shore,
climbing higher and higher upon the
beaches for six hours. During the next
few hours the moons influence is ezerted
upon the continent adjacent, and the tide
is left to ebb, or flow out. Our satellite
is now upon the opposite side of the
earth-twelve hours after our high tide
and while it there raises tide by
direct attraction we have our second tide
of the twenty -four hours by reason of the
earth being drawn away, as it were, from
our ocean, and our waters are left in
manner piled up, and roll in upon our
beaches. For the sake of simplicity re
said just now that twelve hours after our
high tide the moon was on the opposite
side of the earth, but in reality, it is in
advance of that position, for though the
waters of the sea yield to the moons at
traction they do not SO Immediately, but
only at an interval of few hours after
the moon has passed above them. Let
the interested student seek an explana.
tion of the fact that the tide comes in
nearly fifty minutes later on every sue
ceeding day. Yes, the moon rises later
each night by the same time, but why ?
If the shore of the continent be smooth
and gradually shelving, the tide rises to
the height of only a few feet, four or
Eve; if, however, the coast be rocky and
precipitous the effort Of the water to
yield to the moons attraction is met by
sudden and sharp resistance, consequent
ly it is forced to amazing heights, espe-
cially if the coast be deeply indented
with narrow bays and inlets. This is
notably the case in the Bay of Fundy,
where the tide reaches sixty feet.-Cor-
respondcncc Christian Mcighbor.
- Gen. Batcheller, of Saratoga
Springs, N. Y, has daughter not IS
years old who chatters musically and